In the USA the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that “drowsy driving” is responsible for a lot of vehicle crashes, deaths and injuries. Evidence from the CDC (Centre for Disease Control) in the USA shows that getting 6 hours of sleep a night or less more than doubles your chances of falling asleep at the wheel. It seems likely that most accidents to sleepy drivers happen between midnight and 6 am, although late afternoon also has a spike in incidents. Many UK airports are allowed night flights, eg. Gatwick, Stansted, East Midlands etc. This is going to increasingly be a problem for people affected by the noise from Heathrow planes. Already planes taking off, heading away, may be heard routinely till 11pm (often later) on some routes. Each morning planes can be hear arriving from about 4.20am. That does not leave anyone who is sensitive to the noise enough time for healthy sleep. There are many known health risks, of noise disturbance during the times people are sleeping, or trying to. The risk of more vehicle accidents, to those who are woken up an hour or two before they want to wake, is another cost of aircraft noise. The loss of quality of life, and the health costs, need to be part of the calculation of the economics of a 3rd Heathrow runway.
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DANGERS OF DROWSY/FATIGUED/ TIRED DRIVING

The feeling may be familiar: you’re driving along late a night on a near-empty road. It’s warm, and you’re feeling comfortable. You’re feeling relaxed when suddenly your eyes start to get heavy and you find yourself losing concentration.

If so, you’re not alone. According to a report by the Center for Disease Control, 1 in 25 adult drivers (18 years or older) report having fallen asleep in the last month.

In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that “drowsy driving was responsible for 72,000crashes, 44,000 injuries, and 800 deaths in 2013.”

THE NUMBERS MAY ACTUALLY BE EVEN HIGHER; SOME REPORTS SUGGEST UP TO 6,000 FATAL CRASHES EACH YEAR MAY BE THE RESULT OF TIRED DRIVERS.

One of the biggest factors causing a rise in drowsy driving is that fact that we sleep less as a society, and the sleep we do get is not of a high enough quality. As the CDC show in the graph above, getting 6 hours of sleep a night or less more than doubles your chances of falling asleep at the wheel.

Snoring is a major correlatory factor, indicating potential sleep apnea, and a general loss of sleep quality. One of the most common recommendations from the CDC and the NHTSA is for drivers who regularly experience drowsiness to get a medical checkup, as there are often underlying medical issues when sleep quality is diminished.

The rise of smartphones and other technology, combined with social media has diminished the quality of sleep throughout the United States. The average circadian rhythm length is around 24 hours, and those who view smartphone light before bed upset their circadian rhythm by exposing themselves to blue light.

Studies are still relatively new in the field, but one hypothesis is that blue light tricks the brain into perceiving daylight and therefore upsetting the release of the chemical melatonin in the brain. This plays a major role in sleep quality.

So being on your smartphone before bed not only keeps you up later but diminishes the quality of your sleep. As a rule of thumb, don’t look at a screen an hour before bed to avoid any major impact on your circadian rhythm.

Although today’s modern world is ever-more demanding of our attention, and the lure of smartphones keeps us up late, drowsy driving isn’t inevitable.

KNOWING HOW TO PREVENT IT, AND HOW TO RESPOND IF YOU DO FEEL DROWSY CAN HELP KEEP YOU AWAKE AND ALERT ON THE ROADS.

WHAT ARE
THE STATISTICS ON
DROWSY DRIVING?

Although drowsy driving can occur at any time and any place, there are certain profiles of a drowsy driving incident. Statistics show that the following three factors usually play a role in drowsy driving crashes, which usually happen:

Between midnight and 6 a.m., although late afternoon also has a spike in incidents. The body’s circadian rhythm, which is important in regulating sleep, experiences a series of peaks and troughs throughout the day. In the afternoon and late at night people feel drowsiest. Those on the road at this time are most likely to be drowsy drivers.

When there are no passengers. The usual profile of a drowsy driving crash is a single driver (no passenger) driving off the road with no evidence of braking, particularly where the road curves. A lack of passengers means that a driver is less alert, and the drowsiness means that they do not react to curves in the road in the same way as they would otherwise.

On rural roads and highways. Rural driving usually involves covering further distances and often doesn’t have the same level of street lighting. Both of these compound the impact of drowsy driving, without offering the opportunity to stop for a break. This makes drowsy driving more likely, and more dangerous.

WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO DRIVE DROWSY?

Studies have consistently shown that driving drowsy regularly affects the same segments of the population. If you fit one of these profiles, then you should examine your driving habits to see if you’re guilty of driving while drowsy.

COMMERCIAL DRIVERS

Those who drive vehicles like tow trucks, tractors trailers and buses have to drive for a living, so a poor night’s sleep, or illness, does not give them the option to work from home. In addition, those who work long hours are more likely to be pushing themselves beyond their limits. In particular, long-distance truck drivers are likely to strive to reach their destination rather than resting.

SHIFT WORKERS

People who work the night or evening shifts often have disrupted sleep patterns, and have upset their circadian rhythm. This makes them far more likely to be driving while drowsy, particularly during the late night/early morning hours.

DRIVERS WITH SLEEP APNEA

An estimated 22 million Americans have sleep apnea, with 80% being undiagnosed. This means that there are around 18 million drivers who are susceptible to sleep apnea without them even realizing it.

COMMUTERS

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American commute time is 26 minutes each way, or nearly 1 hour a day. For those who have longer commutes, often requiring them to get up early and get home late, there is a real danger of drowsy driving.